Pukekura Park
Taranaki | |
| Coordinates | -39.0624104, 174.0785908 |
|---|---|
| End names | |
| South Terrace End North City End | |
| International information | |
| Only ODI | 23 February 1992: Sri Lanka v  Zimbabwe |
| Only women's Test | 12–16 February 1992: New Zealand v  England |
| First WODI | 16 January 1982: New Zealand v  Australia |
| Last WODI | 18 January 1982: New Zealand v England |
| First WT20I | 4 March 2016: New Zealand v Australia |
| Last WT20I | 22 March 2018: New Zealand v  West Indies |
| As of 1 September 2020 Source: ESPNcricinfo | |
Pukekura Park is a Garden of National Significance,
History
The gala opening of New Plymouth's 15 hectare Recreation Ground was held on 29 May 1876. During the day the first trees were ceremonially planted by Miss Jane Carrington, the daughter of surveyor Frederic Alonzo Carrington: an oak for Great Britain, a pūriri for New Zealand, a Norfolk Island pine for the South Pacific Islands and a Pinus radiata for America.[2][3] The ceremonial spade used to plant the trees is held in the Puke Ariki collection in New Plymouth.[4] The Recreation Grounds were renamed "Pukekura Park" in 1907.[5]
The park contains a diverse range of native and exotic plants. Various easy walking trails cross the park and meander along the lake sides, taking in the features of the park. Among these are the picturesque Poet's Bridge,[6] which was opened on 11 March 1884.[7] There is also a man-made cascading waterfall and a fountain in the aptly named Fountain Lake. Row boats can be hired for rowing on the main lake.
Sports and music
Pukekura Park is a popular events venue.
Cricket
At the north-western end of the park is a cricket ground, established in the 1880s which is noted for the beauty of its setting. The first game of cricket there was played in 1892.[2]
After the team's visit to play a two-day game against Taranaki in January 1936, the Marylebone Cricket Club captain Errol Holmes wrote:
... when we went to the ground, we were struck with its beauty, and decided that it must be one of the most attractive that could be imagined. On three sides it was surrounded by high banks, giving it the facilities of a natural amphitheatre. The pavilion stood on the fourth side which, in turn, led out on to Pukekura Park, famous for its assortment of trees and banks of
Mount Egmont, snow-capped, serene and splendidly aloof.[8]
The ground has hosted
The ground first hosted international cricket in 1982 when three
Today the park can only host domestic fixtures because of the small boundaries and lack of international standard facilities.
Other sports and events
In August 2021, domestic rugby returned to the venue for the first time in 79 years when host
On the eastern side of the park is New Plymouth Raceway, a horse racing course. Between the racetrack and the park is
Near the southern end of the park is the
Other features
Pukekura Park is also home to the popular Tea House on the Lake, which has been situated beside the main lake since 1931.[13]
Pukekura Park is the venue for the annual Festival of Lights, which runs for free every year from mid-December to early February. It has daytime and night time programmes of events for people of all ages, and the festival itself transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland every evening.[14]
In 2007, Pukekura Park was the winner of the "Mayfair" spot in a nationwide competition for places on Hasbro's New Zealand edition of Monopoly.[15]
References
- ^ "Pukekura Park & Brooklands". New Zealand Gardens Trust.
- ^ a b "Pukekura Park Timeline". terangiaoaonunui.pukeariki.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Planting the first tree in the Recreation Grounds". Taranaki Herald. 31 May 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Spade, Garden". Puke Ariki Collection Online. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "The Recreation Grounds". Taranaki Herald: 7. 7 November 1907.
- ^ "Poet's Bridge". Puke Ariki.
- ^ "Pukekura Park History". New Plymouth District Council.
- ^ Errol Holmes, Flannelled Foolishness, Hollis & Carter, London, 1957, p. 133.
- ^ a b c "Pukekura Park, New Plymouth". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe 1991–92". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Taranaki Bulls' history-making game at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park a success". Stuff. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ "WOMAD New Zealand". WOMAD.
- ^ "Teahouse on the Lake". Taranaki.co.nz. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ Lee, Hannah (7 January 2016). "Pukekura Park 'buzzing' with huge crowds attending Festival of Lights". Taranaki Daily News.
- ^ Lee, Hannah (8 April 2016). "Another five-star rating for New Plymouth's Pukekura Park". Taranaki Daily News.
External links
